Chapter 8: The Ghost District
The transition from the cramped familiarity of District 9 to the jagged silence of District 0 was like stepping into a black-and-white photograph. Here, the skyscraper-sized neon signs of Seoul were replaced by skeletal steel frames and the hollowed-out husks of pre-Gate architecture. This was the "Dead Zone," a massive scar in the center of the city where the very first gate had collapsed a century ago. The air was colder here, tasted like wet ash, and carried a low-level hum of "wild" mana that made the hair on Ren's arms stand up.
They moved through the shadows of an elevated highway that had long since crumbled onto the streets below. Ren led the way, his eyes darting between the rusted carcasses of mana-cars. Behind him, Elena and Mia walked in a synchronized rhythm, their boots crunching softly on the glass-strewn pavement.
The golden cord between them was glowing with a dim, cautionary orange.
[LOCATION: DISTRICT 0 - THE FORGOTTEN REACH]
[MANA DENSITY: HIGH (UNSTABLE)]
[THREAT LEVEL: VARIABLE]
"Ren," Mia whispered, her voice barely a breath. "The Tether... it's tight. I feel like the air is pushing back against us."
"It's the mana pressure," Elena answered for him, her voice holding a clinical edge that masked her own unease. "This area was never properly purified after the First Collapse. The 'System' here is fragmented. It's like a radio station that's nothing but static."
Ren stopped behind the rusted remains of a bus, raising a hand. Through the [TETHERED SENSE], he felt a sudden jolt of hostility nearby—not a directed attack, but a mindless, predatory hunger.
"Stay low," Ren commanded.
About thirty meters ahead, a Shadow-Creeper—a creature made of solidified mana and regret—was drifting across the intersection. It looked like a tattered cloak caught in a breeze, but its "fingers" left deep gouges in the asphalt as it moved. It was an E-Rank creature, but in the unstable environment of District 0, even a scavenger could be lethal if it caught you off guard.
"We can't fight it," Ren whispered. "If we manifest the weapons, the light will act like a flare for every monster within a mile. We have to bypass it."
Elena's violet eyes scanned the creature. "We could distract it. I can cast a minor 'Light-Drip'—a low-mana spell. It won't trigger the cord's resonance."
"Do it," Ren said.
Elena raised a finger. A tiny, bead-sized spark of violet light manifested and flicked toward a pile of metal debris fifty feet away from their path. The moment it hit, it let out a sharp, metallic ping.
The Shadow-Creeper shrieked—a sound like metal tearing—and surged toward the noise with terrifying speed.
"Now! Move!" Ren hissed.
They bolted across the open street, their movements a blur of practiced coordination. The Tether hummed, vibrating against their chests as they maintained the exact distance needed to keep the bond stable while sprinting through the ruins. They ducked into the lobby of what used to be a grand hotel, the marble floors now covered in a thick layer of dust and bird droppings.
[QUEST PROGRESS: 65% REACHED]
[CAUTION: SOVEREIGN RESONANCE DETECTED BY LOCAL ENTITIES]
Ren checked the iron key Silas had given them. The leather cord it hung from was starting to pulse with a soft, rhythmic heat. "The Archive is close. Silas said it was a fortified basement, but this whole area is a basement now."
"Look," Mia said, pointing toward the center of the hotel lobby.
Behind the rotted reception desk was a massive, circular iron door—the kind used for high-security bank vaults before the System era. It was covered in a thick layer of vines that glowed with a faint, bioluminescent blue.
Ren approached the door, the iron key in his hand beginning to vibrate so hard it made his palm go numb. As he neared the lock, a new notification appeared, but it wasn't the usual blue. It was the same ancient gold as the 'Trial' message.
[THE OLD ARCHIVE: GATEWAY TO THE BLOODLINE]
Status: Locked.
Requirement: Trinity Verification.
"We have to do this together," Ren said, looking at the girls.
Elena and Mia stepped up beside him. Without being told, they each placed a hand on the cold, heavy iron of the door. The moment all three of them were in contact with the metal, the golden cord between them flared with blinding intensity. The vines on the door didn't burn; they retracted, withering away as the iron itself began to glow.
CLACK. WHIRRRRR.
The sound of ancient gears turning echoed through the hollow hotel, a sound so loud it felt like it would draw every monster in District 0 to their location. The massive door slowly swung inward, revealing a staircase that spiraled down into a darkness so deep it seemed to swallow the light of their Tether.
"Is this the 'Safe Zone'?" Mia asked, her voice trembling.
"It's the only one we've got," Ren said, stepping onto the first stone stair.
As they descended, the heavy iron door swung shut behind them with a final, echoing thud. The silence that followed was absolute. Then, one by one, the lights along the spiral staircase began to flicker to life—not mana-lamps, but ancient, warm-toned electric bulbs.
At the bottom of the stairs, the space opened up into a massive, underground library. Tens of thousands of physical books lined the walls, interspersed with glowing data-crystals and holographic displays that were currently dark. In the center of the room was a large, circular stone table with three distinct indentations.
[SAFE ZONE REACHED: THE OLD ARCHIVE]
[REWARD: 15,000 CREDITS DEPOSITED]
[BASE OF OPERATIONS: UNLOCKED]
"It's... it's beautiful," Mia whispered, walking toward a shelf and running her fingers over the spines of the books. "I thought physical books were all destroyed during the Great Collapse."
Elena walked toward the central table, her eyes fixed on the holographic displays. "This isn't just a library. This is a repository. Look at the markings on the table."
She pointed to the three symbols etched into the stone: a Crown, a Hammer, and a Spire.
[TRIAL OF THE BLOODLINE: COMMENCING IN 24 HOURS]
[PREPARATION PHASE: ACTIVE]
[SHOP UPDATE: BASE UPGRADES AVAILABLE]
Ren sat down at the stone table, the exhaustion finally catching up to him. He looked at the vast, silent hall. For the first time since the Plaza, he felt like he could actually breathe. No Valentine enforcers, no Shadow-Creepers. Just the three of them and the weight of a thousand years of history.
"We have twenty-four hours," Ren said, his voice echoing in the vast space. "The System gave us fifteen thousand credits for getting here. We use them to turn this archive into a fortress. Mia, see if there's a forge or a workshop in the back. Elena, see if you can wake up these displays. I want to know what this 'Trial' actually is."
Elena looked at him, a small, tired smile touching her lips. "Commanding again, Master Kaelen?"
"Just trying to make sure we're still alive to see the sun tomorrow," Ren replied.
As they began to explore their new home, the golden cord between them pulsed with a soft, contented light. They were deep underground, hidden from the world, but the "Trial" was coming. And for the first time, they were ready to meet it on their own terms.